Emerging Designer Pedro Lourenco Continues to Awe at Paris Fashion Week

Perhaps because he is only nineteen-years-old and has his whole life ahead of him, Pedro Lourenco looked decidedly to the future with his Spring 2011 collection presented Friday at Paris Fashion Week.

After stunning critics with his Fall 2010 collection, Lourenco secured his place as an emerging designer to watch. He certainly did not disappoint; working primarily again with leather, his designs seemed to defy the laws of physics. At first glance, the leather appears to be painted on the body – at least, that seems to be the only reasonable explanation given the cutouts and splicing. However, Lourenco integrated the use of tulle into his latest collection, using it as an almost invisible bodysuit that allowed him to experiment further with construction and silhouettes. He also used the tulle to soften the collection, which on the whole was edgy and surrealistic, by allowing it to float gently in one empire gown. As the models emerged on the blindingly white runway with chalky fuchsia eye shadow and harsh, twisted buns, the effect was chilling: it was as if our antiquated notions of the future world had finally been realized.

Granted, Pedro Lourenco may not have designed a very useful spring wardrobe, but then again, that was never his goal. At the very least, we can appreciate that the Pedro Lourenco Spring 2011 collection allows us to ponder what could be, rather than what is.

Photo Source: Elle.com